This is interesting. The book series is being made into movies and a TV series. There will be three movies, with a season of the TV show between the movies to bridge the gaps.

okay i know that link is dated yesterday,but seriously,you need to look at post 1 on page 1....ie:what started this thread

True, but in fairness to Eddie the news today does bring some details in that weren't available earlier, mainly the movie-series-movie-series-movie plan.

i suppose,but in all truth,it couldn't of been anything else really if they were planning them both at the same time,i can't see them waiting for either the movies to be finished and then do/show the TV series,or the TV series to be done and do the movies

UNIVERSAL PICTURES AND NBC UNIVERSAL TELEVISION ENTERTAINMENT TO MAKE FILM TRILOGY AND TELEVISION SERIES BASED ON STEPHEN KING’S EPIC SERIES OF NOVELS THE DARK TOWER

Academy Award® Winners Akiva Goldsman, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer Will Produce the Three Films and the TV Series Based on The Dark Tower

UNIVERSAL CITY, CA, September 8, 2010 – Universal Pictures Chairman Adam Fogelson and Co-Chairman Donna Langley—along with Jeff Gaspin, Chairman, NBC Universal Television Entertainment and Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC & Universal Media Studios—today announced that Universal Pictures and NBC Universal Television Entertainment have acquired the rights to produce three films and a television series based on the seven epic novels, short stories and comic books from Stephen King’s The Dark Tower.

Ron Howard will direct the first film and the first season of television, which will be written by Goldsman. Goldsman will produce the film through his Weed Road Pictures with Howard and Grazer for Imagine Entertainment. Howard, Grazer and Goldsman will executive produce the television series for Universal Media Studios. Kerry Foster will executive produce the first film for Weed Road Pictures along with Todd Hallowell and Erica Huggins for Imagine Entertainment.

NBC’s roster of popular scripted series includes critically acclaimed comedies like Emmy winners The Office , starring Steve Carell, and 30 Rock, starring Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey. Veteran, award-winning dramas on NBC include Law & Order: SVU, Parenthood, Friday Night Lights and Chuck. Unscripted series for NBC include the hits The Biggest Loser, Celebrity Apprentice , and America's Got Talent. NBC is #1 in late night's key ratings races with The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Last Call with Carson Daly, and Saturday Night Live. NBC Daytime's Days of our Lives consistently finishes among daytime’s top programs in the valuable women 18-34 category. For more information visit www.nbc.com.

Contacts: Universal Pictures: Kori Bernards (818) 777.7216/[email protected]NBC Television Entertainment: Rebecca Marks (818) 489.7779/[email protected]“The worlds of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series are richly detailed, inter-locking and deeply connected,” said Goldsman. “By telling this story across media platforms and over multiple hours—and with a view to telling it completely—we have our best chance of translating Roland’s quest to reach The Dark Tower onto screen. We are proceeding with tremendous excitement, fidelity to the source material and, quite frankly, no small amount of awe at this opportunity.”

“King has created the most visually enthralling places and characters in The Dark Tower,” said Grazer. “The synergy created across all the media divisions of our partners at NBC Universal to tell this remarkable story is ground-breaking and invigorating. This project will be one of the most exciting and challenging that I will have ever worked on and I am thrilled to be a part of it.”

About Universal Pictures Universal Pictures is a division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com). Universal Studios is part of NBC Universal. NBC Universal is one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80% owned by General Electric and 20% owned by Vivendi.

About NBC Entertainment NBC Entertainment develops and schedules programming for the network’s primetime, late-night, and daytime schedules. NBC’s quality programs and balanced lineup have earned the network critical acclaim, numerous awards, and ratings success. The network has earned more Emmy Awards than any network in television history. “I’ve been waiting for the right team to bring the characters and stories in these books to film and TV viewers around the world,” said King. “Ron, Akiva, Brian along with Universal and NBC have a deep interest and passion for the The Dark Tower series and I know that will translate into an intriguing series of films and TV shows that respect the origins and the characters in The Dark Tower that fans have come to love.”

The Dark Tower is Stephen King’s opus of seven bestselling novels with, to date, more than 30 million copies sold in 40 countries. The novels incorporate themes from multiple genres including fantasy, science fiction, horror and adventure. After the series was completed, a prequel of comic books based on one of the characters was also published.

“Building a franchise home for The Dark Tower is an exciting opportunity for this studio, and we’re thrilled that Stephen has entrusted us to bring his beloved novels to the big screen,” said Fogelson.

“Stephen King is a brilliant storyteller who creates imaginary worlds that resonate with the broadest audiences across ages and demographics,” said Gaspin. “We are thrilled to partner with our colleagues in the film division and Brian, Ron and Akiva to bring Stephen’s vision to the largest audience possible through this innovative multi-platform collaboration.”

Howard, Grazer and Goldsman are planning for the first film in the trilogy to be immediately followed by a television series that will bridge the second film. After the second film, the television series will pick up allowing viewers to explore the adventures of the protagonist as a young man as a bridge to the third film and beyond.

“We are excited to have found partners at Universal who understand and embrace our approach to King’s remarkable epic,” said Howard. “By using both the scope and scale of theatrical filmmaking and the intimacy of television we hope to more comprehensively do justice to the characters, themes and amazing sequences King has given us in The Dark Tower novels. It might be the challenge of a lifetime but clearly a thrilling one to take on and explore.” NEWS RELEASE

i feel a bit more confident now that i know Ron Howard is directing the first film and first season...so is that just to see how things go,and then he may continue to direct?,as i would be quite happy if he was fully on board to do it all

looking on IMDB it looks like he has only directed a few things made for TV(TV movies)..well balls to it,I'm still confident

Howard, Grazer and Goldsman are planning for the first film in the trilogy to beimmediately followed by a television series that will bridge the second film. After thesecond film, the television series will pick up allowing viewers to explore the adventures ofthe protagonist as a young man as a bridge to the third film and beyond.

so that's the past events of Wizard and Glass that will be the second TV series after the second film...about right that,as then after that we will have 1 film and 1 TV series left,which is perfect for the last 3 books me thinks(especially as Song of Susannah is shorter than the two surrounding it)....but should it all end on the TV series?...hmm

From what I read, Universal was nervous about bankrolling a trilogy of films AND a TV series that would have something else in the first season and then Bardiem in the 2nd. That's an awful *lot* to chew. King apparently told EW that he's still hopeful it will get made as at least the movies:http://insidemovies.ew.com/2011/07/19/stephen-king-dark-tower-universal/

Quote from: Stephen King

“I’m sorry Universal passed, but not really surprised,” he writes in an email. “As a rule, they’ve been about smaller and less risky pix; maybe they feel it would be better to stick with those fast and furious racing boys. I bear them no ill will, and trust Ron Howard to get Roland and his friends before the camera somewhere else. He’s very committed to the project.”

Uncle Stevie's not a spring chicken anymore (he's about 64) lets hope the adaptations get done in time for him to enjoy it.

"We found a way to cut out $45 million out of the budget without changing the scope and actually giving it a good ending. In the $140 million draft, the ending wasn't quite as satisfying. Now, we've got $45 million, $50 million out of the way and a really satisfying ending. It's gonna get made."

what was wrong with the ending in the book?,was i the only one who liked it?..anything else at the top of that damn tower would probably of been a let down,but i am happy that HBO are having a go at it,that cast will have to be spot on though

and damn,Gary Oldman in Akira actually has one of my eyebrows raised and interested...damn

Ugh...While I think that Crowe can be an amazing actor with the right material, he's not the character of Roland. I'd much rather see someone like Christian Bale in the role. He could probably pull that off better than anyone outside a younger Clint Eastwood at this point.

At first I didnt like the idea of Crowe in the role but then I remembered 3:10 to Yuma. I think Crowe will do fine but he does need to commit himself to the role and lose about 30 lbs in the process. Crowe is a good actor and Im sure Howard can make it work. Hopefully they can get it done.

I think, to make this work, they are going to need to shoot for a partial committment rather then a full committment to the full story. Clearly no studio is in the position where they can take the risk of providing money up-front for three movies and two extended length TV series. I never understood how that was supposed to work anyway.

Do The Gunslinger by itself or the first three and go from there.

Logged

Roger: And you should know, I have no genitals.Syndey: That's alright. I have both.

Media Rights Capital is in serious talks to take on The Dark Tower after Warner Bros declined to make what potentially amounts to three feature films and two limited run TV series. MRC’s Modi Wiczyk is a big fan of the Stephen King novel series, I hear, and the company is eager to capitalize on the positive momentum they got from developing and financing the Seth MacFarlane-directed summer sleeper hit Ted with Mark Wahlberg.